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Monday, November 14, 2011

Degrees of Separation: #OVCX to #USGPcx to Masters Worlds 2011

You raced or watched the USGP Cyclocross Derby Cup in Louisville
this weekend. With course tape snapping
in the wind, you rang the cowbell at the fly-over, heckled Georgia Gould, followed
Powers lines warming up, shielded your junior kid’s eyes from the guy cheering with
a nipple-taped blow up doll and, even though you can’t draw a correlation, the
three gladiators seemed to fit in with the atmosphere. You had a blast. Now, it’s Monday, November 14th. In two months, Cyclocross Masters Worlds unfolds
on the same course. We’ll see real rainbow
stripes pulled over team jerseys and tears of joy in the winner’s eyes. After doing my best 20/20 investigative reporting, crunching results, and
talking with masters peers this weekend, I wont be surprised if those rainbow tears
could be rolling down the cheek of someone we know.

It won’t be me. The way I
figure it, I’m still 4 degrees of separation from the next 45-49 year old
Masters World Champion. I finished in 23rd
place in Day 1 of the USGP 45+ Elite Masters, an eternity of 2 minutes and 47
seconds behind the beaded bling wearing 45+ winner Jonathan Card.
However, Card finished 1:12 behind a certain 3rd place Jonny
Bold at Nationals last year. 45-49 year
old Nationals in 2010 were won by the legendary
Olympian/World MTB Champ and four time Elite Cyclocross National Champion Don
Myrah. While Myrah didn’t make the trip to Mol, Belgium for Worlds
last year, Bold did. He won bronze, nine
seconds behind 2010 (1961-65) World Champion Marc Druvts. According to Bold’s blog, the
race was very close. Sadly, Marc
Druvts passed away this August.

Granted you can’t
compare last year’s Jonny Bold to this year’s Jonathan Card, Fred Rose or Mike McShane. Variables such as geography, course layout, weather, and
jet lag come into play as well as the typical boring master’s issues of family, careers and who's going to snow blow the driveway when I'm gone. 44 year olds turn 45. 49 year olds blow out 50 candles. While it’s not a divining rod of Masters Cyclcocross,
it does show the general caliber of talent present locally in Ohio Valley
Cyclocross OVCX and the USGP. Take a
look at the current USA cycling rankings.
You may recognize a few names.

In the USGP 45+ Elite Masters race on Saturday, OVCX regular, Fred
Rose finished 3rd, only 7 seconds off Card’s mark. Mike McShane only 32 seconds off Rose. Personally, I’m thinking Card may be even
faster than last year. In lieu of having
Worlds in their backyard, I think many OVCX racers have raised their game. After talking with a few
Masters racers at USGP this weekend, I heard Card deliberately started training
later and put less emphasis on early September races in order to focus on
Nationals and Worlds.

For me, looking at the
theoretical gaps between myself and guys like Bold, Myrah and the late Druvts, I’m
just glad it doesn’t get too much faster than this. Staying on the lead lap at Worlds would be a
dream. While it may be a few rows in
back of Bold, Card, Rose, Myrah and a few Europeans getting away to tropical Louisville
in January, there’s a place on the Worlds starting grid for me.